Nassau

Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial center of the Bahamas. The city was founded by English settlers in 1670 as Charles Town, and the town was named for King Charles II of England. In 1684, Spain burned Charles Town to the ground, and it was rebuilt and renamed to "Nassau" in 1695 to honor William of Orange, who was of the House of Nassau. From 1703 to 1718, there was no governor of Nassau, with the Franco-Spanish attack on Nassau in 1703 (during the War of the Spanish Succession) leading to the Bahamas' defenses being weakened. Pirates took over Nassau, and it was a pirate haven during the Golden Age of Piracy. In 1718, the British Army restored order to Nassau after crushing the "Republic of Pirates", and the influx of American Revolutionary War refugees led to Nassau growing in the late 18th century. After World War II, suburbs developed, and Nassau became a major city. In 2016, Nassau had a population of 274,400 people.